Turkish Olympic shooter becomes an instant meme after winning silver medal despite looking like he 'just walked in off the street'

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By James Kay

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A member of the Turkish shooting team at the Olympics has become an internet sensation after winning silver without using any extra equipment.

OlympicsCredit: Christian Liewig - Corbis / Getty

I'm not going to sit here and pretend i'm an expert on shooting events, but I certainly know a star when I see one.

Competing for Türkiye in the 10-meter air pistol event, Yusuf Dikeç's striking appearance in a widely circulated photo has social media buzzing.

Shooting events have garnered significant interest from fans, particularly due to the advanced equipment and technology utilized by many competitors.

Notable among these is the specialized shooting glasses worn by South Korean athlete Kim Yeji.

GettyImages-2164032980.jpgKim Yeji. Credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty

Kim's glasses, designed to enhance precision, featured a covered left eye to eliminate double vision and a specialized lens for her right eye.

Her appearance was accentuated by a baseball cap and her daughter's stuffed toy elephant in her non-shooting hand, making a distinctive impression.

In contrast, Yusuf Dikeç's equipment—or lack thereof—left spectators equally astonished. Eschewing any specialized gear, Dikeç wore a casual outfit and only regular glasses as he aimed.


Despite this, the 51-year-old displayed remarkable accuracy, securing a silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol event, alongside his teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.

"I did not need special equipment," Dikeç reportedly told domestic Turkish media. "I'm a natural, a natural shooter."

Fans were left impressed with Dikeç's casual approach, especially in contrast to the rest of his competitors.

One user wrote on X: "This casual bada** is my hero of the Paris Olympics. Looking like he just walked in off the street, wearing no targeting accessories and hand in his pocket, Turkish dude Yusuf Dikeç won silver in the 10-meter Air Pistol event."

GettyImages-2164101419.jpgYusuf Dikec (R) and Ilayda Tarhan (L) took home the silver medal. Credit: Anadolu/Getty

A second said: "Insane aura. 51-yr old Yusuf Dikeç of Turkey shows up to the Olympics for shooting without special lenses… without ear protection… hand in his pocket & both eyes open… and casually takes home a silver medal.|

This Olympics marks Dikeç's fifth appearance, and he and Sevval narrowly missed out on the gold.

While Dikeç's minimalist approach fascinated many, Kim Yeji's striking look with her aiming glasses also captivated audiences.

GettyImages-2164033012.jpgKim Yeji. Credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty

One user wrote: "South korean shooter Kim Yeji is [the] new James Bond of [the] Olympics, I'm absolutely obsessed with those shooting glasses and badass attitude."

While a second added: "Is this the hottest and coolest anyone has ever looked in history? Possibly."

Featured image credit: Anadolu/Getty